Swans Crossing--Everybody Wants to Rule the World
by Sanna
Summary: CH 2: As JT and Neil try to stay out of sight, Callie and Mila face SCH for the first time, while the latter, accompanied by Nancy and Glory take up cheerleading... Sandy finds comfort in Saja, while Owen wonders if things turned out for the best... and S
1. Chapter One

> Everybody Wants To Rule the World  
Chapter One  
Written By: LadySwan
> 
> JT leaned back in his chair beside the pool side and sighed comfortably. This day was totally perfect. Nothing could ruin it. Garrett would be leaving Swans Crossing soon, yup, everything was perfect.
> 
> "JT!" a sweet voice called out.
> 
> A smile came over JT's face. He instantly knew who that voice belonged to. It belonged to his girlfriend, none other than Glory Booth. "Hey!" he greeted her, motioning for her to sit in the chair next to him. "What's up?"
> 
> With a smile on her face, Glory sat down. "Nothing much." She looked at the deep blue water of the pool. "Common. Let's go for a swim you lazy lout!" she teased, pulling on his arm.
> 
> JT held back. "No thanks. I'm already tired of getting in and out of there." he told her. He glanced over to the refreshment stand. "Common. Let's go get a drink and find ourselves a nice secluded table to stay in."
> 
> A dimple appeared in Glory's left cheek. "Fine with me."
> 
> Hand in hand, the two got their drinks, and found a table away from the crowd.
> 
> As they sat down, JT sighed. "Everything's perfect." he murmured, gazing at Glory.
> 
> She giggled, leaning closer towards him.
> 
> Just as they were about to kiss, another familiar, very annoying voice. "Hey JT!" Neil called out.
> 
> Glory and JT parted, being interrupted by Neil once more.
> 
> "Hi Neil." JT said in a disappointed voice.
> 
> "Hi Neil." Glory echoed unenthusiastically.
> 
> As Neil took a seat on the other side of JT, he began talking excitedly about their project, as if Glory wasn't even there.
> 
> JT glanced uneasily at Glory, who was sitting there, looking totally out of place. But then he watched her smile, as a few of her friends came over. They began talking excitedly, forgetting about the boys.
> 
> JT turned back to Neil who was still talking a mile a minute. Somehow, this wasn't at all what he had planned. He turned and looked over at the bushes, only to get the shock of his life!
> 
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> 
> Barek walked into the Swan Club, partly annoyed. His meeting with Owen Fowler was useless. He was an idiot. His heavy footsteps echoed in the parking lot. The laughter grew louder as he neared the pool area where everybody was at. Or rather where all the teenagers were.
> 
> "I have to find those two geniuses now." Barek whispered to himself determinedly, his jaw in a straight line. "I have to find them, or else."
> 
> Step by step, Barek drew closer to the pool area, where everyone was having fun. As he stood there, scanning the area for the two, Barek felt a bit out of place. There he was in his usual black getup, and everyone was in their swim gear in bright colors.
> 
> Suddenly, two familiar faces caught Barek's eye. He quickly walked over to the two teenagers whom he knew the best in Swans Crossing.
> 
> "Young James, Callie." he greeted the two. The two turned around startled. They both looked like they had seen a ghost. 
> 
> "Uh, Barek," Jimmy said, trying to act coolly. Jimmy's heart had been pounding. Slowly, it began to return to normal. "Barek..." Jimmy said again, this time much calmer. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
> 
> Barek ignored the cross look on Callie's face and turned to Jimmy. "You wouldn't by any chance have seen Neil Atwater and JT Adams around by any chance, have you?"
> 
> Callie's eyes flew wide open. So now Barek was looking for them too? And so before Jimmy could open his mouth to speak, Callie nudged him in the ribs hard and said, "No, we haven't seen them all day." Her voice was hard and emotionless. It was very obvious she had a dislike for Barek.
> 
> "Oh well, thanks anyway." Barek said, taking slow steps as he backed away. He too, looked like he was in a big rush. He didn't want to say anything else to the two, he didn't want to give away any of his secrets.
> 
> After Barek had left, Jimmy turned to Callie, "What did you do that for?" he asked angrily, rubbing the sore spot. It hurt a lot, Callie sure had some punch in her.
> 
> "Sorry, I just couldn't tell Barek where JT and Neil were." Callie explained, dragging him along as she started off towards a corner.
> 
> "Why not?" he asked. Jimmy stopped rubbing his sore spot and looked at her expectantly.
> 
> "Isn't it obvious? All of a sudden everyone's looking for them! I think it's because of that science project of theirs that they keep on talking about."
> 
> "So? What does Barek have to do with all that?"
> 
> "Jimmy! Try fitting the pieces together! Barek arrived in Swans Crossing, in the middle of summer, right?" Without giving Jimmy a chance to say anything, Callie continued. "Well that was the same time that JT and Neil really got into their project. I've always thought that there was something off about Barek, now it all just seems to fit."
> 
> Jimmy opened his mouth in protest. "Oh common, you can't believe that! You don't have any proof!" All throughout the summer, Callie had been saying pretty nasty things about Barek, but this was the worst!
> 
> "Jimmy, don't you find it strange that all Barek wears is black, all the time, and that those strange men that we keep seeing also wear only black?" Callie asked. She didn't want to argue with Jimmy, but this was the only way to make him see the light.
> 
> "You can't just judge a person by the way he or she dresses!" Jimmy argued, defending his boss.
> 
> Callie's face turned soft. "Jimmy... I know you don't want to believe it, but it's probably true. And I think, that deep down inside of you, you know it's true." she told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
> 
> Jimmy looked down on the ground. She was right. Everything did fit. It was all correct. Jimmy hated to believe it, but he had to believe the truth. He looked up at her. "Ok, I believe you." They exchanged a small and faint smile. "But now what do we do?"
> 
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> 
> Mila and Sydney were seated among the tables, talking, gossiping, doing whatever.
> 
> Sydney was having a great time, that is until Garrett came up to their table. "Hello girls." he said, in a tone of voice that Sydney found quite annoying. She had always hated it, and Garrett knew it.
> 
> Mila smiled up at him. "Hi Garrett. Wanna join us?" she asked sweetly.
> 
> Sydney coughed, as she adjusted her seat. She would die before having Garrett join her in any table. No way was she going to sit in a table with Garrett, in this life or the next.
> 
> "Sydney, are you ok?" Mila asked, turning to her best friend.
> 
> Garrett smiled smugly, as he watched Mila trying to help Sydney out. He knew that there was nothing at all wrong with her physically. It was just him.
> 
> "I'm fine." Sydney assured Mila, sitting upright.
> 
> Mila looked relieved and then turned back to Garrett, patting down the chair beside her. "Sit, Garrett?"
> 
> "Sure." he said taking the seat.
> 
> "So Sydney, what time do you think the party will end?" Mila asked.
> 
> "I don't know exactly. Probably when they throw us out." she said, not looking at Mila, but shooting a hard glance at Garrett.
> 
> "This is a lovely day for surprises, isn't it?" Garrett wondered outloud.
> 
> Mila turned to Garrett. "What do you mean?"
> 
> Sydney threw Garrett a murderous look. Garrett raised an eyebrow and patted his pocket, where he usually kept the birth certificate. Sydney got the message.
> 
> She bit her lip, she still had to try and be nice to him, even though it was his last few days in Swans Crossing. He could still show the stupid certificate. "Excuse me, I have to check the songs they're going to be playing." Sydney said, making up an excuse at random as she went along. She pushed back her chair, making a loud screeching noise, as she stood up.
> 
> "Ok, Sydney." Mila looked at her unsure, but didn't say anything else.
> 
> Sydney ignored the smug face on Garrett as she walked away. Real smooth move, Sydney thought to herself sarcastically. 
> 
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> 
> JT stared in shock as he looked over his shoulder and saw a Baldie watching them behind a couple of bushes in the parking lot. Pretending he hadn't seen, he quickly kicked Neil under the table and asked gave him a grim nod.
> 
> Sitting across the table from JT, Neil understood JT's expression. He gave him a nod back and together they stood up and left the table.
> 
> "Where are you going?" Glory asked.
> 
> "I'll be right back." JT promised, as he continued walking away, aware that Glory was still watching him, obviously worried.
> 
> They mixed in with the crowd and then quickly made their getaway. As quietly as they could, they made their way to the parking lot. Their footsteps were very heard for the parking lot was silent. Step by step, JT and Neil tried making their footsteps more softer.
> 
> Beads of perspiration slowly began to trickle down JT's head. He felt his heart thumping loudly.
> 
> Neil nudged him and pointed behind a spot behind the Mayor's car. JT nodded and followed Neil behind the red Mercedes. They quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching them, thankfully, there was no one in sight.
> 
> They crouched down as low as they could. "So, did you see anything suspicious?" Neil asked as softly as he could, so as if not to let anyone hear them.
> 
> "No kidding!" JT whispered back. "I saw one of those strange men, those ones that are always in black with a bald head. Those strange people we keep seeing all over town."
> 
> Neil's eyes grew huge. He took slow deep breaths. "We're going to have to do something. We can't hang around here, we can't go back home, I'm sure they know where we live..."
> 
> "So where do we go?" JT asked, his voice rising. His pulse had already quickened, and JT was already beginning to panic.
> 
> Neil looked back at him worriedly. "I don't know."
> 
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> 
> After Sydney had walked away, Mila turned to Garrett. "What do you think made Sydney suddenly decide to go and check the songs they're playing?" Mila wondered.
> 
> Garrett shrugged. "Who knows?" He had a clueless look on his face, but deep inside him her was grinning. Chalk up another victory for Booth, Garrett thought to himself arrogantly.
> 
> Mila pushed the thought aside. She leaned her head against Garrett's shoulder. There was one thing bugging her pretty badly. And she had to bring it up now, before she lost her courage. "How am I ever going to make it through high school without you?" she groaned.
> 
> Garrett out his arm around her comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll manage. You'll probably have a record deal even before you finish half the school year." he assured her. That is if Sydney remembered to send the tape in, he thought to himself silently.
> 
> "Promise me you'll never cheat on me while we're apart." Mila asked him seriously. This was really serious to Mila. Garrett was her first boyfriend, she never wanted to let go of him.
> 
> "Never." he promised. "What made you think of that anyways?" he asked curiously. Did she think he was already cheating on her? With who?
> 
> Mila smiled. "Well, you're such a catch, and a long distance relationship is pretty hard to keep. I don't want to lose a guy who is really amazing and not to mention gorgeous."
> 
> Garrett grinned back at her arrogantly. "Yes, you sure are lucky."
> 
> Mila rolled her eyes. Instead, she reached for Garrett's hand on the table and squeezed it.
> 
> Garrett smiled and pulled her so that she was now sitting on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her and she giggled. She's the only girl I know who actually likes it when I'm like that, what am I going to do without her, Garrett wondered, smiling.
> 
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> 
> Jimmy stared at Callie expectantly. "So what do we do now?" he asked her, looking at her expectantly.
> 
> "I don't know!" Callie retorted. "Do you actually think I know everything?" she asked him. She bit her lip. She hadn't ment to make a rude comment like that, but there was just too much on her mind right now.
> 
> Jimmy just stared at her, as if there seemed to be something wrong with Callie, making her feel even more guilty than she already was.
> 
> "Sorry, Jimmy." she told him. "I'm just really stressed out and all." she said apologetically.
> 
> Taking a step closer to her, Jimmy put his arm around Callie's shoulder and she leaned her head against his shoulder, as if an action to say he forgave her. He didn't say anything, he only squeezed her affectionately.
> 
> Callie turned her head towards Jimmy's, and tilted her head in that same direction, leaning closer to kiss him.
> 
> Jimmy did the same. He closed his eyes, and anticipated the moment when his lips would touch hers.
> 
> But just before the two were able to kiss, JT and Neil came running towards them. "Callie! Jimmy!" they hissed, "We need to talk to you. It's important!"
> 
> Jimmy groaned inwardly. Interrupted again! He turned to face the two, pasting a neutral face on him. "Yeah?"
> 
> "There are some strange men here, watching us here in the Swan club!" Neil exclaimed, forgetting to whisper.
> 
> Callie's eyes opened wide in shock. "Oh my gosh! That must be the guys we saw after you before!"
> 
> "You mean, we've been followed, before?" JT asked in confusion.
> 
> Jimmy nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so. Common, we need to take you somewhere safe." he said, as all four of them headed towards the parking lot towards their bikes.
> 
> "Where are we going?" Neil asked.
> 
> "All of you have your bikes? Good." Callie said, rechecking. "We're hiding you at my place." she said in a muffled voice, as she placed her helmet on her head.
> 
> With the roar of all the engines going, all four bikes headed towards the docks.
> 
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> 
> Garrett was having a fun time, watching all of his friend's swim and make fools of themselves. He shook his head as he turned around and saw his dad walking over towards him. "Yeah dad?" he asked, trying to sound casual. Why was his dad here in the first place anyways?
> 
> "I just wanted to remind you, your plane leaves early tomorrow, maybe you should leave the party early so that you can pack your bags." he suggested, placing his hands in his pockets.
> 
> Garrett felt a twitch of annoyance. The reason he was enjoying this party so much other than the fact that it was Sydney who threw it, was that this was the last day he was going to be with his friends. He hadn't told them that he was leaving earlier, only Mila, that he was leaving the day before. Besides he didn't want to go back to the house, not just yet.
> 
> He cleared his throat. "I'm sure I can manage later tonight." he said.
> 
> Mr. Booth looked at his son, as if he was unsure of him. "Ok, if that's the way you feel...." he drifted off, not trusting his own son with his responsibilities. His son had never been responsible in his life, and that was why he was sending his to France in the first place.
> 
> "It is." Garrett said quickly.
> 
> Mr. Booth shot his son a look. "I want you home no later than 7, do you hear me? You need a good nights rest." A good nights rest was exactly what Garrett needed, for on the plane he would just get jet-lag.
> 
> Garrett silently groaned. Seven? If word of this got to anybody at all, his rep would be shot. "Fine." Garrett said, stalking away. 
> 
> His conversations with his dad never went well. His dad was always so hard to talk to. He always thought that if his brother was successful, he would be too. But Garrett was totally different from Grant.
> 
> Another thing that Mr. Booth probably didn't like in Garrett was that a couple of months back, he was still 'friends' with Sydney. He couldn't keep his daughter away from being friends with her, but he could definitely try to keep his son away from a Rutledge.
> 
> Garrett rolled his eyes as he walked away, somewhere, he didn't know where. Maybe his favorite thinking spot, he thought to himself, heading for the only cliff in Swans Crossing.
> 
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> 
> "I guess you'll be safe here." Callie told JT and Neil. "I know it's not much, but it'll have to do." She shrugged.
> 
> They all sat down on the chairs rather uncomfortably. "So... how come those guys are after you?" Jimmy asked the two. "What is this way important project of yours that has everyone all shook up about?"
> 
> JT and Neil exchanged an uneasy glance. "Maybe we should..." JT murmured. "We've kept it in the dark this long."
> 
> Neil looked uneasily at the window as if he expected a baldie to pop through the window. He sighed. They were safe... for now. Now would be a better time than ever to tell anybody. He nodded at JT.
> 
> JT looked over at Jimmy and Callie, not knowing where exactly where to start. There was so much to say about Ub2b, and he wasn't sure if they'd catch on all of the scientific talk. "Well, Ub2b is... it's... it's a rocket fuel." he finally said.
> 
> Callie leaned closer in her chair. "It's not just a rocket fuel, right? Otherwise these bad guys wouldn't be chasing you so?"Neil winced. "Yeah. Ub2b is a special type of rocket fuel, which could help a lot of scientists. Ub2b has been mine and JT's project this whole summer. It needs a lot of special chemicals, which we've been ordering from out of the country with the alias 'Professor Vann.'"
> 
> Callie and Jimmy had their mouths hanging open as they listened to Neil. So this what was the cause of trouble althroughout the entire summer? It was because of some silly summer project that some bad people had arrived in Swans Crossing? That Glory had gotten kidnapped? That all of their lives were in 
> 
> danger?
> 
> Jimmy threw a glance at JT who was just staring down at the ground blankly. "You lead a dangerous life." he patted him on the shoulder.
> 
> JT forced a smile. He suddenly looks up. "Callie? Can I use your phone? There's someone really important I need to talk to."
> 
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> 
> "Here, these are the songs I want you to play for the rest of the party." Sydney said, going over the list of songs to the DJ. She had picked some certain songs she had wanted them to play.
> 
> She showed him the list, showing him the order she wanted them to be played. It was important that the DJ did all the songs in the exact order. people may not realize it, but even the order of the songs is very important.
> 
> From the corner of her eye, she could see Grant Booth walking over to his son. I'm sure I didn't invite his dad to this party, she mused. But then again, she didn't really want to invite Garrett either. What were they talking about, Sydney wondered to herself, straining her eyes so that she could listen in. It was no use though, they were too far from her. And the music was too loud.
> 
> She watched as Mr. Booth told his son something that looked really serious. Garrett looked like he didn't really like what his dad was telling him. It was real obvious, even from over here, where Sydney was standing.
> 
> She felt a pang of sympathy for Garrett. His dad was really hard on him, he really was. Sydney knew that from some personal experience, and not just from listening to her mother rave about how much she hated Mr. Booth. Sydney had her own opinion too after all, didn't she?
> 
> She watched as Garrett walked away from him, leaving the party. Raising her eyebrows, Sydney figured whatever Mr. Booth had to say to his son, Garrett really did not like it at all.
> 
> She felt really sorry for Garrett. Although she disliked Garrett, she disliked his father even more. He had made life more tougher than it already was. To Sydney, anyways.
> 
> Instinctively, she threw the paper to the DJ. "Here, just play these songs. In whatever order you want."
> 
> Curiously, she followed Garrett, leaving her own party as well. Whatever Garrett was up to, she wanted to know, one way or the other.
> 
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> 
> Sandy stood in the middle of the basement, tapping her foot impatiently. What a day! First, she hadn't had the time of her life at the party, now she had to deal with Mila, and her love sick partner, Owen. Two for the price of one!
> 
> She walked over to the keyboard, where Mila was leaning over along with Owen, talking about her songs. "I thought you'd be spending as much time as you could with Garrett, now that he's leaving." she told her coolly.
> 
> Mila shrugged and forced a smile. "Garrett had to leave already. Besides, when Owen told me to come over quickly, I rushed straight here. When I told you guys I was one hundred percent dedicated to singing, I wasn't lying." she explained.
> 
> "Oh." Sandy simply said, nodding her head up and down slowly. "I see."
> 
> Finally, Owen looked up. "Ok! Shall we get started?" he asked, a bit too happily. Something told Sandy that Owen was still thrilled to be in the same room with Mila, even until now.
> 
> "Sure!" Mila said enthusiastically. She ran to her favorite position, right behind the lead singers mike.
> 
> Sandy felt her blood rush. She hated it when Mila always got what she wanted and everybody let her get away with it. Well, I'm not going to let her.
> 
> She walked up next to Owen. "Aren't we going to play one of my songs?" she asked.
> 
> Mila's happy face dropped. "But I thought we were going to play my songs! You promised!" she said, looking at Owen.
> 
> Promise or not, Owen was putty in Mila's hands. "Well, if I did promise you..." he looked at her smiling.
> 
> "But what about my songs?" Sandy insisted, stomping her foot on the floor.
> 
> Owen shook his head. "You know Sandy, it's not very flattering to hear anyone whine."
> 
> "You can't get everything you want." Mila said, looking at her blankly.
> 
> Sandy felt her face turn red. Hot tears were starting to form in her eyes. "Well if that's the way you feel!" she exclaimed. She stormed out of the basement before anyone could see her begin to cry. This was not a very good day.
> 
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> 
> "JT? Where are you? Are you ok?" Glory asked into the phone frantically, as she worried about her boyfriend.
> 
> "Glor? I'm at Callie's and I'm ok." he assured her, trying to comfort her. He felt pained to know he was making her worry.
> 
> "Why are you there? Are you sure nothing's wrong?"
> 
> "Well, Glor, I don't know how to put this exactly, but I can't really explain it to you over the phone... but if you could come here-"
> 
> "I will." Glory interrupted. "I'll be right over as soon as I can." she promised.
> 
> JT sighed with relief at the thought of being safe with his girlfriend. "Great. I'll see you soon, Glory. I love you." he added in a soft whisper.
> 
> "I love you too." Glory whispered back, before putting the phone down. She glanced around the Swan club. Now who could she get to give her a ride? Garrett wasn't around... it was obvious JT, Neil, Callie and Jimmy had gone... all of her friends had left! Glory sighed wearily and placed a hand on her forehead. Something was definitely up that day. Something bad.
> 
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> 
> From a safe distance, Sydney followed Garrett as he left her party and away from the Swan Club. She followed him all the way to the cliff in Swans Crossing. 
> 
> It was that cliff, the one where Neil and JT were testing their rocket out that day that Sydney and Garrett had come back for the summer. That day when he had pulled his first prank of the summer, on her. But that didn't matter at that moment though. Not now.She saw him on the edge of the cliff, sulking out, as he stared out at the rippling water. I can't believe this is the same guy who gives me all of these orders, she thinks to herself.
> 
> Sydney inched closer to where he was seated to get a closer look. As she did, her ankle got caught in a small bush. "Ow!" Sydney whispered in pain, trying to keep her voice low. She bit her lip and tried to conceal her pain.
> 
> She rubbed her ankle and walked over to Garrett and sat down beside him. "Hey." she said softly. She looked at him sincerely. That wasn't an often look Sydney wore when she was with Garrett Booth, that is not including the time when she was in love with him. She knew he was having a hard time, and it was her duty as his 'slave' to help him in anyway she could. No matter how much 
> 
> she disliked doing it. Funny thing was, she didn't feel one bit forced wanting to talk to him at the moment.
> 
> He looked at her in annoyance. "What do you want?" he asked. Why was she here? To torture him maybe?
> 
> Sydney looked at him seriously. "To talk. I want to talk." She wasn't sure if Garrett would talk to her, but she would certainly try her best to force it out of him.
> 
> "About what?" he asked coldly.
> 
> "You know what I mean. What did your dad say to you that got you so down?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern. It takes a lot to get Garrett Booth all gloomy, I wonder what it was, Sydney wonders.
> 
> Garrett sighed and turned his head in the other direction. "Nothing much of the unusual. Just reminding me that tomorrow I'm outta here." He turned back to her. "What do you care anyways?"
> 
> "You're leaving tomorrow?" Sydney asked in surprise. "But I thought you'd at least be here even after school got started."
> 
> Garrett's scowled. "Well, my dad decided he just couldn't wait for me to leave earlier, so he scheduled me for an earlier flight."
> 
> "Oh."
> 
> "Why do you care anyways?" he repeated.
> 
> "Maybe because before you leave for France, I don't want to say goodbye to an enemy, I want to say goodbye to a friend." she said sincerely, placing a hand over his shoulder.
> 
> "After everything I've done to you over this past summer? Why?" he asked her, still not trusting her. He kept wondering if she had something up her sleeve.
> 
> Sydney bit her lip and shrugged. "I guess I'm all out of arguments and hateful things to do or say."
> 
> "So why are you suddenly being so kind? Are you still worried that I'll show someone the birth certificate and you need some kind of assurance?" he questioned.
> 
> This time it was Sydney's turn to face away. "No. Not really. I don't even care about that stupid piece of paper anymore." Her comforting voice, turned blank.
> 
> Garrett was touched by everything that Sydney had said. "You mean it?" he asked. She nodded. 
> 
> Now this time it was Garrett's turn to pause and think. Sydney wants to say goodbye to me... as a friend? She doesn't care about that phoney birth certificate? Now it was totally useless in two ways. One, she didn't care about it. Two, if she was going to try and make an effort to try and be friends with him, he might as well... by tearing up the birth certificate.
> 
> "Well, then I guess there's no more use for this anymore." he said, taking the birth certificate out of his pocket and tearing it up into pieces and throwing it into the water. 
> 
> Sydney's eyes opened up wide. What was he doing?
> 
> "I mean, if you don't care about it-"
> 
> He was interrupted by Sydney who had a look of happiness, gave him a big hug. "Thanks Garrett." she said, hugging him tightly, a few tears falling down her cheeks. "You don't know how much that means to me. After an entire summer of torture..." she trailed off.
> 
> She practically choked on her tears. I can't believe this is the same guy I was despising a couple of minutes ago!
> 
> "You know, I could still use what you're doing now against you." he teased.
> 
> Sydney released herself from her grip on him and hit him on his shoulder, as dried her tears and still managed to laugh. She extended her hand. "Friends?"
> 
> He shook her hand. "Friends." he said smiling.
> 
> "I promise to write to you everything." she promised. "Everything that happens, and even what might become of Mila's love life." she teased.
> 
> He raised an eyebrow. "You better." 
> 
> They laughed. Garrett stood up and helped Sydney up as well. "Common, you're the host of this party we're missing."
> 
> Together, they headed back to the Swan Club.

To be continued...  
(c) 1999 LadySwan

If you have and comments, suggestion, questions, ideas, or any kind of criticism at all, please email me, LadySwan, at ladyswan_1@hotmail.com ! Thanks!¡!¡! §:Þ

PS about this chapter... I never really watched the last episode, heck, I never got passed 24 or something, so I really wasn't sure how it ended, so yes, I made a few alterations to my story... so its only in this chapter that Jimmy starts to suspect Barek. Sorry! Take care! I hope you like the story! Please review!


	2. Chapter Two

> Everybody Wants To Rule the World  
Chapter Two  
Written By: LadySwan
> 
> JT woke up groggily, staring at his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was. He saw Neil sleeping in the cot opposite his. Suddenly, everything came back to him. Memories of the day before, bad guys after them, him and Neil hiding out in Callie's sub, and Glory all worried about him.
> 
> He sat up straight. Where was Callie? It took JT a few minutes to realize that it was Monday, the first day back to school. He and Neil were afraid to take a step out of the sub, fearing that the bad guys would be on to them in a flash.
> 
> He glanced again at Neil sleeping peacefully beside him. Oh well. So far, none of the bad guys could get them. They were safe for now. JT lay back down on his cot and began to fall asleep again. We're safe now, he thought to himself sleepily.
> 
> Outside, watching the sub floating above the water from a near-by but hidden cliff, someone dressed all in black watched the yellow sub through binoculars.
> 
> "They're in the submarine." the man reported in his walkie-talkie. "They're safe." But Barek shook his head grimly. "But not for long." he promised to no one in particular. "They are in big trouble for messing with the WTO."
> 
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> 
> Callie and Jimmy walked down the hallway of Swans Crossing High, holding hands. It seemed incredibly romantic to Callie, but today, she was feeling a bit distracted.
> 
> "I hope we did the right thing leaving JT and Neil at the sub. I hope they don't get into any trouble." she told Jimmy. She was worried, and she couldn't hide it. The expression on her face said so.
> 
> Jimmy just rolled his eyes. "If trouble doesn't find those two, they'll find a way to get into trouble. They'll probably have wrecked the sub by the time we get out of school." he joked, with a twinkle in his eye.
> 
> Callie cracked a smile and swatted Jimmy playfully. "Oh you! Common, JT and Neil couldn't do that much damage!"
> 
> Jimmy shrugged. "Probably not, but you never know." He side-glanced her and smiled. "Doesn't really matter, at least the thought made you smile."
> 
> At this Callie ended up smiling even wider. She leaned against Jimmy. "Oh, you're so sweet. But I do hope that trouble really doesn't find them. And you know who 'trouble' is. I hope he or they don't find them."
> 
> "All we can do is hope until school lets out. Meanwhile, let's concentrate on you, getting to know more of Swans Crossing High." he told her, as they reached the end of the hallway, leading into several different direction.
> 
> Callie's forehead scrunched up. "Ooh, I'm never going to remember where's where. SCH is so big! I haven't been to a real school in a long time." she admitted.
> 
> Jimmy put his arm around Callie's shoulder. "And that's why I'm here for you." he grinned widely.
> 
> Callie couldn't help but smile back. He was the best.
> 
> He led her to the registrar's office. "Common, first we have to find you your schedule, and hopefully, we might have a couple of classes together." he said, as they walked to the hall to their left.
> 
> I hope I have a lot more than that, James Clayton, Callie thought to herself smiling. A lot more.
> 
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> 
> Nancy and Mila sat beside each other during Physical Ed class in the hot and humid gym. It was quite boring, listening to their teacher go on and on about how girls should like sports, so Nancy and Mila resorted to chatting in class.
> 
> "You know, Ms. Langer is the cheerleader coordinator." Nancy informed Mila, referring to their Physical Ed teacher in front of them.
> 
> Mila looked surprised. "Really? Is she good?"
> 
> Nancy nodded. "I didn't have her last year, but she's quite famous in this school. I heard she's going to try helping SCH's cheerleaders win this year at the nationals."
> 
> "What's that?" Mila asked.
> 
> "The cheerleaders from different schools have a competition every year. We didn't win last year though, the captain had the chicken pox, and none of the other girls came to practice, just to avoid it, so it sort of ruined our chances." Nancy shrugged. "But this year we'll win. Because the cheerleading squad will have you."
> 
> Mila smiled at Nancy. "Thanks for trying to convince me. It sounds like fun, but also quite nerve-racking. "I've never experienced how it's like to be a cheerleader before."
> 
> Nancy put an arm around Mila's shoulder. "Be positive, Countessa. You'll be the best cheerleader Swans Crossing High's ever had." she confirmed.
> 
> A thrill went up Mila's spine. She was always up for new experiences, and cheerleading seemed pretty exciting. Mila just hoped she was good enough to make the cut.
> 
> But Mila's mind began drifting off to other things she knew she was good at. Like singing for example. That too had been new to her, but she had never expected she would be as good as Owen had told her she was.
> 
> But then Mila remembered the awful scene yesterday when Sandy had walked out of practice. Was it my fault, she asked herself. She shook her head. No, Sandy was probably just under a lot of pressure about the first day of school.
> 
> Mila shook her head. Forget about singing for now, she told herself. Right now, concentrate on doing your best at cheerleading. And she would, she's be the best cheerleader there, Mila thought confidently.
> 
> ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤
> 
> Glory tapped her foot against the chair in front of her so often, that the girl looked back at her and glared. Glory guiltily threw her an apologetic look and pulled her foot back. Nervously, she fidgeted in her seat.
> 
> She was thrilled to be back in school. And now she was finally in high school. There were tons of things to be happy about. New experiences, new teachers, and a whole new school to explore. But Glory wasn't happy. She was worried about JT.
> 
> He and Neil had stayed home from school that day, hiding in Callie's sub, and Glory was really worried. The day before when she went over, all they had filled her in on was that they were in big trouble with some bad guys. And what made Glory worry even more was when Neil confirmed that these might be the guys who kidnapped her.
> 
> Glory hadn't felt like going to school that day, she wanted to spend all her time with JT making sure he was safe, but there had been nothing she could do to make that wish a reality.
> 
> She had heard that the school would be holding tryouts for the cheerleading squad today and tomorrow. Glory knew that if she tried out today, she might have a better chance than others might, but she just couldn't. Not today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today, Today, right after school, she'd go straight to the docks and see how JT was doing.
> 
> Glory had made a promise to herself, that right after school she'd go with Callie and Jimmy to the sub right away. She was sure Callie and Jimmy would head straight there, unless they planned to spend some time together alone. Maybe she could get Sydney to drop her off. After all, it was on the way.
> 
> But then again, what if by some chance, she wouldn't be able to try-out tomorrow? If she didn't try-out today, there might be no chance for her tomorrow.
> 
> It might be ok for her to try-out today. The try-outs were happening during the last period, which was really called homeroom. No one was allowed to leave school until after homeroom. She might only be delayed a couple of minutes, it's not like JT would mind. And she did have her gym clothes with her.
> 
> Fine, I'll do it, Glory decided. I go to cheerleading try-outs today rather than tomorrow. JT would have wanted her to.
> 
> In front of the classroom, was Glory's English teacher, Mr. Englebert. Right now, he was going on an on about the rules and regulations in his class, and Glory could definitely not concentrate. She and her classmates had heard this speech over and over again, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take.
> 
> She had promised herself, that in high school, there would be no goofing off in class, no doodles in her notebook, no daydreaming, just serious concentration. But it was hard with a teacher as boring as Mr. Englebert was.
> 
> Glory found her thoughts drifting back to JT and Neil, hoping they were ok. Glory said a silent prayer for them, hoping that this nightmare would end soon.
> 
> ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤
> 
> Sydney and Mila walked down the halls of Swans Crossing High. "I can't believe they're giving us homework on the first day of school! I mean, it's like a rule not to!" Sydney complained.
> 
> Mila smiled and shrugged. She had never experienced a real school before, so she wasn't aware of how things were like. "Common, it's not that bad."
> 
> Sydney exaggerated a sigh but smiled as well. She put her arm on Mila's shoulder. "So, how's your first day in Swans Crossing High? It's the best, isn't it?"
> 
> "Yeah. It's everything I dreamed it would be," Mila smiled. "But still..." Mila's happy smile faded. "It's not the same without Garrett."
> 
> Sydney rolled her eyes. "You mean it's not the same without Garrett here to make trouble." she corrected.
> 
> Mila made a face. "Oh common Sydney. You know you don't mean that. I mean yesterday you seemed to be getting pretty friendly with him at the pool." she said, her eyes twinkling.
> 
> Sydney looked alarmed. "You saw us? Um, well, I guess I just didn't want any long-distance enemies or anything." she quickly said, trying to cover up her surprise.
> 
> Mila nodded and smirked, not believing her story for a minute. "Oh Sydney. Common, admit it. You miss him as well."
> 
> "Well... maybe in a way." Sydney admitted. But she flashed a big smile. "But I'm sure not as much as you're missing him."
> 
> At this Mila had to blush. "Well, of course I do. It's hard when your boyfriend is all the way in France, isn't it?"
> 
> Sydney's mind drifted off to the beginning of summer when she and her boyfriend, Garrett, had said goodbye for the summer. It was so weird back then. "Yeah." Sydney said with a faraway voice.
> 
> Mila noticed the look on her friend's face. She waved her hand in front of Sydney's face. "Sydney, hello? We have to get to class."
> 
> Sydney snapped out of it. "Oh yeah. Let's go." They headed down the hall towards their next class, and at the back of Sydney's mind she told herself, 'and now that's all over so just stop thinking about it.' Sydney inhaled deeply and tried to focus on her next class, trying to put her thoughts of Garrett aside.
> 
> ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤
> 
> Sandy walked through the brightly lit halls of Swans Crossing High. Everything looked so cheery. Everyone was milling around, still comparing summers and schedules. Everyone was cluttered around, looking so cheerful, Sandy was beginning to get annoyed.
> 
> It had been only yesterday that she had walked out of her own band, and already she felt miserable. She had spent the entire day yesterday moping instead of getting ready for school, and now she was feeling butterflies in her stomach.
> 
> "I hope I don't run into Owen or Mila." she mumbled to herself, as she walked over to her locker and began spinning the dial on the lock to open it.
> 
> "Hello, Sandy." she heard a voice behind her say.
> 
> Sandy whirled around to see who it was. "Saja!" her bad mood disappearing. "Hi! What's up?"
> 
> "Ah the merry people running around, trying to get used to the lifestyle change after a long break." he sighed, leaning against the locker next to Sandy's.
> 
> Sandy looked at him blankly. "You mean, trying to adjust back to reality, instead of dreaming away from summer?"
> 
> Saja nodded.
> 
> With a chuckle, Sandy popped open her locker and began putting some of her stuff in. "Yeah, people should learn to deal with reality. Because what happened yesterday is gone, and today is something totally different. They should stop dreaming about yesterday, and remember that it's gone already." she exclaimed loudly, forgetting where she was for a moment.
> 
> "Are you talking about summer, or something totally different?" Saja asked her, waving a hand in front of her face.
> 
> Sandy snapped back to reality. "Oh. Sorry, Saja." Her face changed, and she felt immediately down again. "Something totally different, I guess." she muttered, looking down.
> 
> Saja's face was filled with concern. "What's wrong? I assumed everything was going great in your life right now. The band's getting an offer, right? And--"
> 
> "Thanks just it!" Sandy wailed, about to pull her hair. She glanced around and saw people staring at her. She quickly looked away. "I left the band yesterday." she said in a soft voice.
> 
> "Why?"
> 
> "Prima-donna Mila and love-struck Owen, that's why. We don't seem to get any work done anymore. I had enough with them already; so I left."
> 
> Saja placed his arm around Sandy's shoulder. "Don't worry. It'll be ok. The gods are looking down upon you and they will make sure everything will be alright."
> 
> Sandy forced a smile. "I hope so."
> 
> Saja smiled back. "It will. I promise."
> 
> Sandy closed her locker shut, holding a few of her books in her arms, and she and Saja walked down the hall together towards homeroom.
> 
> ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤
> 
> Sydney leaned back farther in her chair. Usually, she liked her Math class, but the usual introduction of the year was really getting old fast. Unluckily for her, only Nancy out of her 11 friends was in that class with her.
> 
> Her mind drifted off, barely able to hear the droning voice of her teacher. She began to remember the scene earlier in the hallway, when Mila had reminded Sydney how much she missed Garrett.
> 
> It was true, but still. Did Mila have to be the one to bring it up? It was almost as if she knew about them....
> 
> No, Sydney told herself, pushing the thought aside. She could never....
> 
> Sydney missed Garrett like crazy. Probably almost as much as Mila did, although she'd never admit it. She missed his annoying smile, him pestering her over one thing or another, everything.
> 
> It's almost as if she wanted him to be back, torturing her all over again! Sydney pushed away the thought disdainfully. I just miss his annoying personality that's all. If another guy I disliked or something, maybe even Owen or Neil, if either of them were like that, maybe I'd be feeling that way too about them.
> 
> Sydney rolled her eyes. What am I thinking, she asked herself. She pushed all farther thoughts of Garrett Booth aside. She had much better things to do than think about her mortal enemy turned friend.
> 
> But then looking at her teacher Mrs. Reed, Sydney knew she could not think about anything else in this boring class. She flipped open to a blank page in her notebook. She took out a pen to copy down notes but she didn't feel like it.
> 
> Instead, she got an idea and began writing a letter to Garrett. She had promised him, and this was one promise that was going to be easy to keep.
> 
> She chewed the top of her pen. But what would she write about? Mila was nowhere near cheating on him, and the day was completely boring. Sydney just shrugged and decided to write about just that.
> 
> 'Hi Garrett,' she began to write....
> 
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> 
> Owen sat down in the music room during his free period. It was his first day in high school, but Owen was feeling pretty down. There was nothing much to study, so Mr. Francis allowed Owen to use the keyboard. Mr. Francis, the music teacher, was a good family friend of the Fowler's.
> 
> He sat behind the keyboard and blankly began playing notes at random. Yesterday, Sandy had given him the biggest shock in his life. She left the band. After years and years of being together.
> 
> He couldn't imagine what had made Sandy leave. Everything was the same as it always had been. But then a thought occurred to Owen. Could Sandy be jealous of Mila? He shook his head. That was a ridiculous thought.
> 
> He missed Sandy in a way, but if she wanted to abandon the band, that was her decision. Besides, he had a singer, Mila. She wasn't that bad. But who would compose the music for the songs? Mila only knew so much about music. She could just write the lyrics probably. Would Owen have to do all the work?
> 
> Owen shrugged hesitantly. I guess it's a small price to pay, he decided. But another question popped into his head. Would he continue to let Mila sing Sandy's songs?
> 
> Owen shook his head. That wouldn't be right. He had to start from scratch now. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he rationalized.
> 
> Owen began playing some more notes again on the piano. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed right anymore.
> 
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> 
> Garrett was sitting in his plane seat impatiently, waiting for him to end up in France, to just get it over with. His dad hadn't even bothered to get him a Business class seat. He was stuck in the First class area, next to some old man who was snoring pretty loudly.
> 
> Exhaling loudly, Garrett picked up his duffel bag from underneath the chair in front of him and began searching for something to keep him occupied. It seemed that Garrett had sorted through his entire bag before pulling up a photo album. Glory had given it to him the night before. It was to remind him of home, when it only seemed to Garrett that it would remind him that everything was happy there while he was stuck in France.
> 
> He began flipping through the photos. The pictures started from the beginning of summer, but there were so little happening then, after five or so pictures, it was already the 4th of July celebration.
> 
> As Garrett looked at those pictures, he couldn't help but grin. That day had been pretty exciting, he chuckled to himself. It was at that day, Garrett that he had introduced the whole town especially Sydney to Mila. He turned the page. 
> 
> There he saw pictures of Mila's birthday party. Garrett gazed at them thoughtfully. It had been pretty fun that night. The next picture he saw was one where everyone was slow dancing-- or so it seemed. He noticed that Mila was dancing with Jimmy, so he figured more or less. He saw a red dress in the background and Garrett squinted to get a better look. He was surprised to see that he was dancing with Sydney pretty closely, and almost about to kiss!
> 
> Garrett quickly shut the album as if there was something paining him. He took deep breaths to calm himself. That was a long time ago, he assured himself. You and Sydney have gotten past those feelings. Now you're just friends.
> 
> Feeling semi-convinced, Garrett opened again the album, and skipped the pictures of the party. The next few pictures were of the Newport game. Garrett began to have a queasy feeling in his stomach. He flipped through those too. The next pictures were taken during Mila's slumber party, probably taken before the boys crashed the party. They were mostly of the girls wearing silly wigs, and Garrett wondered why Glory gave them to him. He remembered that awful night distastefully and practically jerked the next page.
> 
> Garrett saw his friends dancing at the Swan Club and figured that was the night of the party. He flipped through the pictures. The party had seemed like fun. Too bad he had missed it, he had been to busy torturing Sydney.
> 
> We've come so far from then, he mused. But then again, it was only yesterday that everything changed.... He flipped the page. There he saw pictures of the Nudibranch benefit. Hmm... he thought to himself. Wasn't that day fun?
> 
> The next picture was one that was taken when Billy Gunn had come to town. How dare he try stealing my Mila like that? he asked himself angrily. He turned the page.
> 
> Neil and Rocket Boy's fund-raiser, Garrett smirked. Oohh, wasn't that fun? He shook his head and turned the page. The last few pictures were from the day before. Glory had hastily put them together. Garrett gazed at them fondly. What a day that was. One weight lifted... and another one added, he thought to himself darkly, as he gazed at his surroundings.
> 
> Garrett shook his head, trying to forget all about that part. He flipped open the album again and tried focusing on a picture of his girlfriend wearing a silly wig. But his eyes were drawn to the picture above-- the picture of beautiful Sydney Rutledge.
> 
> ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤
> 
> Mila stepped onto the lush, green field where cheerleading try-outs were being held. She felt butterflies moving around in her stomach as she nervously approached Ms. Langer. She hesitated a moment before tapping her on the shoulder.
> 
> Ms. Langer turned and saw Mila. She smiled warmly. "Ms. Rosnovsky! I take it you're here to try-out for the cheerleading squad."
> 
> Mila nodded.
> 
> "Ok, this is what we'll do. I will show you and the other girls trying out some cheerleading moves and we'll see how you can handle it. Then, if you make the cut, we'll give you a cheer and you cheer it however you can. You can add your own moves, whatever. Ok?" Mila nodded again. "Good. I hope you brought some clothes for you to change in." she told Mila, looking at tight clothing.
> 
> Mila pointed her bag that held her change of clothes. She had called the house earlier, telling her maid to bring some clothes to school. "I just have to change." Mila explained.
> 
> "The girls locker room is over there." Ms. Langer told her, pointing it out.
> 
> Mila thanked her and headed towards the locker room. Inside, the room was packed with girls changing into their fashionable leotards and chatting excitedly about the try-outs. Mila barely heard them. She was too deep in thought worrying about how she'd do.
> 
> Amongst the clutter of the other girls, Mila scurried onto the field, her heart pounding. As she and the other cheerleader-wannabes sat down on the grass, Ms. Langer repeated her instructions that she had already told Mila.
> 
> Mila's mind wandered, thinking about Garrett and how he was doing. She wished he could be there to watch her. She pasted a smile on her face. She was going to do this for Garrett. He'd be so proud of her. She looked over at the other end of the girls who were trying out. There she saw Glory, looking a tad distracted. Mila would have waved to her, but she didn't want to get into any trouble.
> 
> "Ok ladies! Let's start!" Ms Langer said, clapping her hands and pointing to the area of the field in front of her where she wanted the girls to gather. "Let's start with some simple gymnastics."
> 
> Mila took her place, a rush of adrenaline running through her, her eyes were shinning. This was going to be great.
> 
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> 
> "A straight. I win." Neil told JT, placing his cards down on the coffee table.
> 
> JT sighed and revealed his losing cards. JT and Neil sat across each other on the coffee table in the living room playing cards. They had played every game they could think of, all day long. Captain Walker hadn't seen them when he had gone off to work, and JT and Neil were getting bored staying cooped up in the sub all day long. 
> 
> Today was supposed to be their first day back to school. He was supposed to have introduced Glory to high school and shown her the ropes. But he couldn't. He was stuck, because he had made a big mistake over the summer, and was now he was afraid to take a step outside.
> 
> "Do you think we'll have to spend the rest of our lives hiding out in the sub?" JT asked Neil.
> 
> Neil, who was shuffling the cards, frowned. "No, it's just for a little while. It's just until... just until...." He frowned. "I have no idea how long we'll be hiding out."
> 
> JT frowned as well. He didn't like the idea of spending his entire life hiding out in the sub, "Maybe if we call the police-"
> 
> "No!" Neil exclaimed. He looked around. In a lower voice, he leaned closer to JT. "Do you know how many illegal things we've done already? We could get in so much trouble!"
> 
> "So what do you want to do? Wait until the people who are after us just go away?" JT asked incredulously. "That's ridiculous. We'll have to wait forever. And I'm sure they'll find us sooner or later."
> 
> Just then, the squeaking of the door to the sub, and both JT and Neil looked towards it. "It must be Callie and Jimmy." JT told Neil. "School has probably gotten out by now."
> 
> They looked at the mess they had made. Bowls, glasses and plates were scattered everywhere. "Uh oh, we'd better clean this mess up."
> 
> JT and Neil picked up as many plates and glasses as they could carry and quickly brought them to the kitchen. After dumping them into the sink, they paused. Silence.
> 
> "It's so quiet." Neil commented. "I wonder why."
> 
> Just then, grabbing them from behind, were four men dressed in black. Two grabbed JT and placed over his mouth a white cloth, and the two other men did the same to Neil.
> 
> Neil tried kicking the man who held on to him in the shin, but the second just grabbed him by his legs. He couldn't move. He saw JT trying to move, but he too was helpless.
> 
> JT tried thrashing around as much as possible, but nothing worked. The two men were too strong for him. Pretty soon, because of the cloth that was covering his mouth, he began to black out. The last thing on his mind was the picture of Glory worried.
> 
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> 
> "Hey Garret!"
> 
> "Whoa! What're you doing back here?"
> 
> "Cool jacket dude. Can I borrow it?"
> 
> "Welcome back Garrett!"
> 
> Garrett waved to all of his friends down the hall as he made his way to room #302 of Dorm B of his oh-so-favorite boarding school, Une Ecole Avec Murs. His friends were great, but still, he did not want to be here.
> 
> He opened the door and entered his room, dropping his baggage immediately. He glanced around the room. It hadn't changed a bit since he had last been there.
> 
> Sitting on the twin bed on the left side of the room sat Michel Vanderhorn, Garrett's best friend in France and roommate. He looked up from his book. "Hey! I didn't know you were coming back." Michel was a skinny guy, whom everyone liked to tease. He was always joking around, and he could always take the joking of his friends. He was rarely hotheaded, and he had always been a close friend of Garrett's.
> 
> Garrett grimaced. "Well, let's just say my dad got enough of me already. He couldn't wait for me to leave."
> 
> Michel nodded knowingly. He too had a dad that didn't seem to care about him that much either. Michel came from one of the richest families in France, but it still didn't make up for his parent's lack of care for him.
> 
> "So, while you were back home, we're you able to talk to your girlfriend? What's her name again? Sydney? I still remember when the guys were passing around that picture of her you carry." Michel laughed.
> 
> Garrett began to have that queasy feeling in his stomach again. "Well, yeah. For a while anyway. We broke up. No bigge. But 
> 
> I have a new girlfriend now. Mila Rosnovsky. Ever heard of her?"
> 
> Michel frowned. "Actually, yeah."
> 
> "Probably because she was a child actress." Garrett informed him knowingly.
> 
> Michel shook his head. "Is that why you got her as a girlfriend?" He grinned. "No, actually I know her personally. As in Countessa Mila Bergita Rosnovsky, right?" Garrett nodded. "She's my cousin."
> 
> "No kidding." Garrett raised an eyebrow.
> 
> "Nope. Personally, I didn't think the poor girl had a chance at getting a boyfriend."
> 
> "Well, she was pretty lucky." Garrett replied arrogantly.
> 
> Michel threw a pillow at Garrett. "Ego-man!"
> 
> "Bonehead!" Garrett challenged, throwing the pillow back.
> 
> They were about to start a pillow fight when the dinner bell rang. Immediately, both stood up. Garrett rubbed his stomach. He was pretty hungry.
> 
> As they headed out the door, Michel walked behind Garrett, slapping him on the back. Garrett grinned. With friends like Michel, maybe his being back in France wouldn't be that bad.
> 
> ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤ §:Þ ¤
> 
> Callie and Jimmy were riding their bikes towards the docks after school. They had decided to go straight home after school, instead of hanging out afterwards. Callie was too worried about what could happen to JT and Neil to think about anything else.
> 
> "Callie, it's like I said earlier. As soon as we see them, we'll think we should have let them come to school with us. We'll see they've made such a mess and..." he trailed off when he saw Callie frowning. "What's wrong?"
> 
> "The door to the sub is open, Why is it open?"
> 
> Jimmy shrugged.
> 
> Slowly, the two made their way inside the sub. Everything was so quiet. Too quiet maybe. They entered the living room, and gasped. It was a mess. Things were thrown around everywhere. Things were thrown off onto the floor... as if a struggle had happened.
> 
> Callie and Jimmy quickly walked over to the center of the mess. There they found some more cotton balls. They looked at each other grimly.
> 
> "What was it you said about them getting into trouble?" Callie asked Jimmy sadly, as held up the cotton ball. It was plainly obvious. JT and Neil had been kidnapped.
> 
> To be continued...  
© 1999 LadySwan

  
  


PS I have no idea how long it takes for a letter to and from Swans Crossing-France. Use your imagination. Let's say Swans Crossing was so full of rich people that they could afford to send mail VERY fast! =)

PPS, I'd like to thank Melissa Sarantos and Crystal Gal for reviewing chapter 1 of this story! =) Thanks guys! You made my day when you reviewed! =)

PPPS, *I'm getting carried away again, aren't I?* Pleas join our Swans Crossing discussion at [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/swans-crossing-people][1]! Thank you!

If you have and comments, suggestion, questions, ideas, or any kind of criticism at all, please email me, LadySwan, at ladyswan_1@hotmail.com ! Thanks!¡!¡! §:Þ

   [1]: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/swans-crossing-people



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